Thought it would be fun for many of you who found the blog later on to revisit a post from the "early years", September of 2014 more specifically, and my "fantasy" 1976 card for Mark Fidrych, who took the world by storm that season:
Fidrych had the world in the palm of his hand that year, my first year following baseball as a wide-eyed seven year old.
The man was everywhere, not only with his stellar play on the mound but with his antics and bright smile that lit up the room.
Here's the original write-up I posted way back when:
"Now, I'll be the first to admit that there was no way Topps could
have foreseen Fidrych and the phenomena that was about to ensue.
He wasn't exactly the hot prospect when the '76 season opened, but
by the time the all-star game was about to be played, Fidrych was
everywhere, and everyone was talking about him.
We all know the story: how he ended up starting the all-star game,
how he won 19 games and led the league in earned run average, how he was
given the nickname "Bird" and the antics he displayed on the mound.
Sadly we also know how his career was derailed because of injuries,
how he was never able to make it back successfully, and how years later
he was tragically killed in an accident at the young age of 54.
But the "Bird" legend will always be around, and for those of us lucky enough to have witnessed it, it was incredible.
His 1977 Topps card is STILL one of my all-time favorites solely
because I feel it captured that "thing", that personality he had, as a
character that comes along all too rarely.
Here's to you Mark!"